Stamp Magazine

6 Nov 2014

Pigeon Post - Send Messages, No Stamps Required

Smart phones, e-mails and social networks or even mails with stamps may be the choices when it comes to sharing information and communications, but there was a time when pigeons were the traditional messengers of information. About 2000 years ago, pigeons were used to send information and the practice has persisted through the years, even in the face of emerging technologies in communications. In fact, during World War I, these birds were used as carriers of messages and have helped change the tides of war.

Persian roots and Military Use

What makes pigeons effective carriers of information is their honing capabilities. A pigeon can be transported from a certain place, and when it's released from the cage, it will instinctively return to its cage that it considers her home... Read More

Stamp, Postal History, Pigeon Post

9 Oct 2014

Penny Blue - From the Collection of Proof Impressions of Rowland Hill

The Penny Blue, a one-penny postage stamp released in 1840 has been frequently mistaken as one of the many postage stamps issued by Britain. The wrong impressions often stem from the fact that the stamp carries an image of a regal lady with a crown. The stamp is actually a part of a collection of proof impressions designed and released when Roland Hill was looking for new inspirations for colors that can be used on stamps, as the replacement for the Twopence Blue and the Penny Black. The decision to change the colors of the stamps had already been approved, and the color of the ink for use in cancellations had been identified as black. While it was already agreed upon that the two pence value will still sport the color blue, the authorities still planned on using a different ink... Read More

Stamp, British Postal History, Postal History, Penny Blue

2 Oct 2014

French Colonialism in Stamps

The French were once one of the leading powers and explorers. Starting in the 18th until the 19th century, they expanded their ‘spheres of influences’ outside of the continent. But starting the 1960s, the territories began to reclaim their independence. The French influence may have waned in terms of administration, but its contribution to world arts and affairs persisted in many spheres, stamps and philately as well. The market is loaded with French stamps including mint inexpensive stamps that are accessible for all types of collectors and enthusiasts. The challenge is to spot these on collections since French colonial stamps are arranged in order, before France. For example, French Morocco comes before France in many stamp listing and collections.

The French Colonies

24 Sep 2014

Mail Rail - Rediscovering London’s Old Post Office Railway

London’s Old Post Office Railway

The streets of London are always filled with buses, cars and people busy with their daily transactions. The cityscape has changed through the years, with new and modern buildings and vehicles that continue to amaze both the visitors and London residents alike. But beneath the capital’s streets is a 6-mile tunnel that plays host to an almost-forgotten mode of transportation - the London Post Office Railway, or affectionately called the Mail Rail. Erected more than a century ago by an act of the Parliament, the Mail Rail was primarily used to carry almost 12 million postal items starting from White Chapel in the East End to Paddington in the West.